Perhaps the best NHL hockey player ever from Newfoundland was Michael Ryder. He was born and raised in Bonavista, Newfoundland, and honed his hockey skills in the province before playing in the National Hockey League (NHL).
The New Jersey Devils have been a slow build. After decades of competing, the franchise that made the playoffs for 13 straight seasons and 19 out of 20 seasons was going into its first rebuild since the 1980s.